New Delhi:
Activist Anna Hazare used a blog on Monday to announce that his group of anti-corruption activists, called Team Anna, stands dissolved. Sources tell NDTV that a few in that core group of activists are shocked at the move. There has been strain already as some key members are opposed to the decision to go political that Team Anna announced last Friday.
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After the activists announced that they would try and provide the people with a "political alternative," politicians are said to be queuing up to join the new party they will float. The next elections will be the assembly polls in Gujarat and Karnataka later this year, and the activists are yet to decide on whether they will contest.
NDTV has learnt that some members of Team Anna are upset that the decision to join politics was not discussed with all of them. Sources also say that the decision to disband the team was taken after consulting just a few members of the team.
Efforts are reportedly on to convince key members of the team. Sources tell NDTV that those who support forming a political party hope to get others like Akhil Gogoi and Medha Patkar around.
The Team Anna political plan envisages seniors Shanti Bhushan and Anna Hazare guiding the new political outfit. They would like, sources say, to have Justice Santosh Hegde providing moral guidance and help in selection of candidates. Mr Hegde has openly opposed the decision to contest election and Anna Hazare yesterday distanced himself saying, "Team Anna's job is over. We are separate now. They will form a party. I have nothing to do with it."
Consultations reportedly are on to form a preparatory committee to decide on the name of party, its code of conduct and constitution. This prep committee is expected to be formed within the next ten days.
Three days after aides like Arvind Kejriwal and Anna ended their 10-day hunger strike at Delhi Jantar Mantar, 75-year-old Anna on Monday wrote that "The time for fasts has ended. It is time to give people a political alternative."
Plans for that party were in fact made public by Mr Kejriwal and Anna on Friday, before they ended their latest fast against corruption. Anna said his aides would enter politics; he stressed he would not contest elections or be a member of the party, but would support it. Mr Kejriwal asked the public to help pick the party's name and manifesto in preparation for the next general elections in 2014.
"All members were kept in the loop on the decision to disband Team Anna," claimed Aswathi Muralidharan, the media coordinator for India Against Corruption (IAC), the movement that was led by Anna for the last 18 months. But Team Anna member Kiran Bedi confirmed there appears to be a disconnect. "Read Anna's blog. Do not know what all it means? For we all had very useful preparatory meeting with Annaji wherein he gave useful guidance!" she tweeted early this evening.
Justice Santosh Hegde worked closely with Anna in championing and developing civil society's version of the anti-graft legislation, the Lokpal Bill. The national ombudsman agency that the Bill births is what Anna has been fighting for over 18 months and several hunger fasts. "Somewhere we went wrong," said Mr Hegde, adding, "I feel sorry (about the decision to disband the team) for the reason that the movement started by Anna for a strong Lokpal was need of the hour." Mr Hegde has also said that Team Anna should have steered clear of politics.
From outside the team has come the criticism that those who have worked closest with Anna have always been hungry for power. There are also those that add that since August last year, when Anna drew epic crowds for a 16-day hunger strike in Delhi, calls to action since then have not stirred India. They certainly didn't impact the government - for the last hunger strike, which lasted ten days in Delhi and ended on Friday, the government made no attempt to persuade Team Anna to end its fast.
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